Blog Buzz: Flowbee’s, Playboy & Red Riders

This has been quite the week for yours truly, but enough about me. Really.

Williamsburger the burger joint finally opened at I think their tagline “Beefing up hipsters” is fucking hysterical. But of course, hipsters do not. – Eater

However, AMNY claims Williamsburg’s ‘not just for hipsters anymore’. “The post-hipster wave of residents seems to be affluent young families moving in as entire blocks of old factory buildings vanish and slick glass towers rise up between the shorter two and three-family dwellings.” Great. – AM NY

Williamsburg might be turning into the next Park Slope but Greenpoint’s going more for the Harlem vibe with the cast of 50 Cent’s MTV Reality Show moving in on Greenpoint Avenue. I’m looking forward to the first episode to include one of the poultry slaughter’s runaway chickens! – NY Observer

Also on the reality TV front, Project Runway is in full swing and there’s only one designer who claims Brooklyn as his home. Although Daniel’s listed as being from The Berkshires in Massachusetts he mentioned he lived in Brooklyn on the show. He’s the one dating another contestant on the show (Wesley was eliminated last week but apparently they’re still together)… We’ll see how he does.

AM NY Urbanite has a nice bunch of vintage Greenpoint signs, although more than a few aren’t actually vintage. Schmook’s Pizza is fairly recent replacing Pizza Prince’s, Cinderella’s is also more recent though the store has been around forever and Peter Pan’s is another newer sign but old store. Either way, the pics are great. – Urbanite

A Pointer wants their hair cut with a Flowbee. Nah, not weird AT ALL. via A Brooklyn Life

Local bar Duff’s is featured in The Playboy Blog and it’s no other than bartender and my girl for years Tracy featured in the picture! What a sexpot. – The Playboy Blog

WWD reports that “Target has tapped Brooklyn-based accessories brand Hayden-Harnett to do an exclusive line for spring 2009.” There’s also news of a Hayden-Harnett Grand Central location as well as a swimwear and shoe line for Spring ’09. So now everyone in America can dress like they just came from Franklin Street. – WWD & Racked

Speaking of Franklin Street shops, I noticed a sign in the window at Dalaga that says they’re now hiring. Not sure for what, but I would get my little toochis down there if you’ve got any retail experience and want to be able to walk to work.

Brooklyn Bowl is getting closer and closer to opening and now there’s talk of ‘a full Blue Ribbon menu’. I do like The Gutter though I admit I’ve only gone a handful of times and do most of my bowling on Wii, but now with another option and with good food (from Blue Ribbon, but maybe just for the VIP’s) and a music venue, I might find myself checking that out. – Page Six & Gothamist

Williamsburg Handball Legend Vic Hershkowitz dies. “ Mr. Hershkowitz, a Brooklyn native, began playing handball at playgrounds in Williamsburg during the Depression and he sometimes played with Red Auerbach, the future Hall of Fame basketball coach. Both were graduates of Eastern District High School.” – Mercury News

There are people boating in Greenpoint? Off the Huron Street Piers? Without a picture I would not have believed it. – Superfuzzy

Word has it, the hotness that was Heath Ledger actually chose the NaBedLo Triangle spot for the Five Leaves restaurant. “The restaurant’s location, on a street corner across from McCarren Park, was also chosen by Ledger while he and Mongell were out skateboarding. “I showed him other spots and he wouldn’t look at anything else. He liked this corner,” Mongell said. “He envisioned basically just hanging out at the park across the street. He was a big fan of Williamsburg.” Although the place is in GREENPOINT. As is McCarren Park. But I digress… As usual. – People

The Top Cheftestants are already in their digs at 20 Bayard and the sightings are starting to roll in. But don’t expect any soundbites since apparently they’re not allowed to talk. – Eater & NY Observer

I can’t get over all this freaking reality TV Brooklyn craziness!! But in even more news – Where will the Real Worlders get their drink on? – George Weber The News Guy

Kirsten Dunst was all hisptered out at the McCarren Pool Party this past Sunday featuring MGMT and The Ting Tings. Yeah I have no idea who they are either. – In Case You Didn’t Know

I’m really behind on some of my emails and with a messy inbox I forget to post things I wanted to! Like bitch*cakes being on the cover of the Brooklyn Paper over two weeks ago! It was for her ride on the Nostalgia Train to Coney Island. You can check also out her Flickr set from the day here.

A reader emailed me that there’s another artist haven of some sorts coming to Greenpoint. It seems Olafur Eliasson, creator of the NYC Waterfalls project, inspired a show in Greenpoint at 155 Freeman Street. Jessica writes:

the building across the street from me, which for the three years ive been on freeman street has always appeared to be pleasantly vacant, is becoming some arty monolith. or has already become. i was out of town this weekend and so didn’t experience this first hand, but my roommate stopped in to a show they were having (related in someway to the waterfalls guy he says) and said the place we have both been hoping would become anything but an artists’ space or a thai resturant, has become an artists’ space.

according to the press release on the show, “The building will undergo major renovation in the fall and become the new home for Repetti in late ’09.”

I’m not really one for bashing art, but I’m also not one for seeing Greenpoint turn into some sort of ridiculous mash-up of freaky art things going on with the sort of participants where anyone calls themselves an artist. This Repetti place is getting a crazy makeover so the money is there, maybe the quality art will be, too.

For the kiddies, this Wednesday July 30th, Park City Parks Foundation brings Puppets in the Park to the Abate Playground in McCarren Park. Cinderella Samba will be performed at 10am and 11:30. Come out, bring a blanket to sit on and enjoy the show. – Park Moms

The Save The G Blog is looking for guest posters. And no not just whiny commuting stories. “Anyone got a good anecdote, or even some pictures, to share? Rants=unappealing (unless thoroughly humorous); basic information=slightly more appealing. Recommendations for better service=very cool (but keep it less-than-stratospheric). Come on… your favorite G train story. Your favorite G train transfer. Anything!” If you interested send an email to teresatoro [at] yahoo [dot] com.

I’ve got a couple of new blogger links for Greenpointers this week. Under the BQE is a gal living on the edge of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, obviously under the BQE and Twisted Lister is a seriously hysterical real estate broker blog from Rich Awn. With listings in the neighborhood that have descriptions like “Subway tiled bathroom, not drunken Polish style floral patterns” and “Beatific backyard that almost makes life worth it’s proximity to the Pootown Creek Funk Factory“. Even if you’re not looking for a new apartment you’ll want to read it!

The date is set for the first ever wing eating contest in Greenpoint (although we might need a fact check on this)! The Habitat’s “Habitual Chicken Ritual” will take place on Tuesday, August 26th at 9:30 pm. The contestant who eats the most wings within 10 minutes will receive a free night of drinking at the bar! The contest is limited to 12 people, so if you’re interested and think you have what it takes, stop in and let them know so they can sign you up!

Sonic Youth is playing the last concert at McCarren Pool. Wish I could go, but then didn’t someone say I was too old for indie music? – TONY Blog

And lastly, it seems everyone is getting in on the nicknaming of Greenpoint’s various little areas. First with Lady Lorimer’s NaBedLo Triangle (Nassau at Bedford & Lorimer) and then Very Small Array’s Greenpoint Subdivision Map and now we’ve got GrAMPa. – robotpolisher

Shit, these Blog Buzzers are getting longer and longer. Whew!